MIZORAM TO HOLD POLITICAL LEVEL TALKS WITH HPC(D) ON MARCH 5

The first round of political level talks between Mizoram government and the militant outfit Hmar People's Convention (Democratic) is scheduled to be held on March 5 in Aizawl. Official level talks held from August 10, 2016 till September 22 last year was elevated to political level parleys. The proposed political level talks was delayed as Chief Minister Lal Thanhawla constituted a three-member committee of legislators to examine the draft legislation on the formation of Sinlung Hills Council (SHC). The talks held during August 2016 and September 2017 mainly revolved around giving more autonomy to the existing Sinlung Hills Development Council (SHDC) as also restructuring the council. The name of the council was proposed to be changed from Sinlung Hills Development Council to Sinlung Hills Council. SHDC was created comprising areas adjoining Manipur in accordance with the accord signed in 1994 between the erstwhile underground HPC and the Mizoram government.

The HPC(D) was demanding a separate autonomous district council under the sixth schedule of the Constitution for the Hmar community concentrated in the north eastern part of the state adjoining Manipur, before the accord was signed. They continued the arms insurrection by reviving the autonomy demand since 1995 and recently agreed to drop the demand for autonomy under the sixth schedule paving the way for solution to the Hmar imbroglio.